Ask the Expert - Children's Communication Challenges: Is It Attention, Language, or Both?

Wed, Jul 9, 2014 3:00 PM EDT

Did you know that about 20-30 percent
of children affected by ADHD struggle with language?

Or that up to 50 percent of students
with Language Disorder also have ADHD? And that deficits in
executive functioning impact both disorders?

Language disorders often share some of
the same characteristics of attention disorders and can even be
mistaken for one another. When this happens it’s very common for
students to not receive effective interventions or educational
supports.

Dr. Linda E. Spencer will tease out
the differences between ADHD and Language Disorder during Children’s Communication Challenges:
Is it Attention, Language, or Both to help parents and other
concerned adults to recognize which challenges with which their
children are struggling. When the primary concern is ADHD, problems
with language may incorrectly be attributed to the ADHD. Recognizing
where the problems lay is an important part of any intervention.

Linda E. Spencer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a
practicing speech-language pathologist who has worked in public
schools, colleges and universities. She has maintained a private
practice in speech-language pathology for more than 20 years. Dr.
Spencer has provided evaluations and direct intervention to children
and adults with a variety of speech, language, voice and
communication challenges. Currently, Dr. Spencer provides service as
an independent evaluator of students with communication, speech and
language disorders that affect their acquisition of educational and
social skills.

Dr. Spencer is a member of the CHADD
of Greater Baltimore Professional Advisory Board.